Does Your Group Need a GVR?
- Announce the latest issue at your meeting
- Talk about the magazine’s content – the stories make great topics for discussion
- Encourage your group to participate by sending in stories, art work or jokes
- Spread the word about Grapevine’s new services and products
How do I get started?
- Offer to be of service – let your home group know that you are interested.
- Register with us online
- You will receive a complete information kit from the Grapevine office.
HISTORY OF THE AA GRAPEVINE
The Grapevine was created by six AA members in the New York area — four women and two men. With the blessings of AA’s co-founder Bill W., they published the first issue in June 1944, just nine years after the founding of AA. A copy of that first issue was sent to every AA group — about 300 at the time — and to all known AA members in the armed services overseas. An entire page with the heading, “Mail Call for All AAs in the Armed Forces,” was devoted to letters from these members, who began calling the Grapevine their “meeting in print.” The title stuck, and today the Grapevine and La Viña carry it on their covers.
At the heart of the early Grapevines, then as now, were first-person stories. There were also news and notes on current happenings at the Central Office, plus reports of the explosion of new groups in North America and around the world. In addition to AA news, there were book reviews and magazine reprints and pieces written by non-AAs, including some well-known literary figures. Discussed were such burning topics of the day as the place of women in AA, returning veterans, and cross-addiction.
You too can be a part of the legacy! Share your experience today
